Case Study
Consumer & Retail/ C-Suite & Board
Leading a Transformation
A Multichannel Retailer Looks to Build Its Business Holistically
Situation
A $1.2 billion multichannel specialty retailer was in the midst of a transformation, evolving from a trusted supplier of nutritional products to a full-spectrum holistic health and wellness enterprise. After the CEO announced his retirement, the board of directors sought a new executive who would complete this transformation and take the company to even higher levels of success. This individual would need an extensive background in working with trusted brands and expanding their reach; deep experience managing change, both internally with employees and externally with consumers; and possess the leadership skills required to bring the company’s 4,500 health-enthusiast employees along for the journey.
Approach
The company’s transformation reflected a broader trend in the health field. Today, consumers are actively engaged in their health, often bypassing traditional institutions in search of solutions from brands they trust and admire. To identify and recruit the best individual to follow through on this transformation, Egon Zehnder partnered with the company’s executive chairman and board of directors and deployed a cross-industry team led by the firm’s Retail and Health practice. Our systematic and global search covered top executives from across the business spectrum in order to identify candidates with that unique mix of experiences and competencies necessary for success.
Outcome
After a thorough process that identified several outstanding candidates from the e-commerce, retail, consumer, and healthcare segments, our client hired the former president of an international health and wellness business as its new CEO. Having led businesses units at a global healthcare products manufacturer and at an international health-focused retail chain, the executive possessed the right blend of experience in healthcare, strategic marketing, consumer brand building, and innovation sought by our client’s board of directors.
